Bottle cap



Nov; 16 1926. 1,607,091

. A. F. G. LUCAS BOTTLE CAP Filed June 9 1924' Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES .ANTHONY F. G. LUCAS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA..

BOTTLE GAP.

Application filed ilunejl My invention relates to bottle caps, ineluding caps or closures for preserve jars, milk bottles and the like; and has for its object the provision of a cap specially suitable for bottles or jars containing gas under ressure, such for example, as soda-water ottles. The invention is in the nature of an improvement over that describedv and claimed in Letters Patent No. 1,477,139,

granted December 11, 1923, to Jesse F. Alexander and myself. I employ the same integral unit formed of semi-rigid material such as paper or press board, withfa circular cap or closure having a depressed central disk surrounded by rim flanges forming an inverted annular trough or channel, the outside walls of which are stifl'ened by vertical hollow ribs or curved flanges and formed up between said ribs or flanges so as to have a flare at the bottom and a definite curved bottle preferably by a machine, a compres-' sion device such as a loop or wire is secured around the ribs in the notches thereof.

In order to permit a closer. fit of the central disk within the neck of the bottle, I

radially flute or corrugate the same. This makes the cap adaptable to bottle necks of varying diameters, and as the caps are applied by machinery, they can be'forced in under considerable pressure, so as to produce a tight seal regardless of slight variae tions in diameter.

My invention is illustrated in the aecom panying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view of my improved p,

Fig. 2 is a .vertical axial section thereof Fig.3 is a top plan view,

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the same,

ig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig.

2 showing the cap applied to a bottle.

In the drawing, the cap as shown is made as an integral unit, molded under heat and pressed by dies shaped and dimensioned to produce a close fit both inside and outside of the mouth of the bottle. As shown in Fig. 5, the bottle 1 is molded with a projectin hp 2, a swell 3, and a relatively straig t neck portion 4. The ea has the central disk 5 surrounded by ascen g horizontal and descending walls 6, 7 and 8 re- 1924. Serial H0. 718,975.

spectively, forming an annular trough or channel around the cap to receive the lip of the bottle. The outer descending wall 8 is fluted or provided with vertical ribs or channelled flanges, and in between these flanges or ribs is molded to the shape of the bottle, as indicated at 9. Below the swell 9 the molded form draws inward at 10 and again swells outward at 11 to form a slight flare at the bottom. The ribs or flanges 12 are notched at 13 to receive a wire 14 or equivalent compression device, and these notches are formed in the process of molding, although they may be formed by the wire it self, especially if applied by machine. In either case'they would be molded in the substance of the ribs, and serve toprevent dis- I placement of the wire. The wire 14 may be either a wire ring forced down over the inclined surface of the flanges into the notch,

or it may be aspring wire with lapped or hooked ends, which is looped about and the ends caught together in a well known fashion, or it may be a piece of soft wire bent around in the notch and the ends twisted together.

' In order that the central disk 5 may fit very tightly in the .neck of any bottle without regard toslight variations in diameter,

I provide it with radial flutings or corru gations 15 shown in Figs. 2, 3, .4 and 5. As

these caps are usually affixed to the bottles by capping machines employing a plunger, the central disk 5 may be forced into a bottle neck by said plunger under considerable pressure and by means of the radial flutings wi adjust itself and maintain its own rigidity and the close contact of its periphery 16 with the inside of the bottle neck. It will be noticed in Fig. 5 that a slight indentation is shown in which the edge 16 of the disk 5 engages, and it will also be noted that the .disk 5 has a slight downward swell or convexity. The ressure of gas against .the under part of t is disk will therefore tend to expand it into the depression in the bottleneck, and the greater the pressure the tighter the seal. With this depression properly made and the cap as I have described it carefull adjusted, the outside binding wire may e dispensed with if desired; but in order to avoid risk of displacement in handlin packing, and shipping, I consider it desira le to apply the wlre in the manner described.

- What I claim is:

, tral disk having a downward convexity and adapted to be expanded in diameter by pressure on said convexity, and said outer wall 8 being molded with stiffened ribs or flanges and connecting web therebetween adapted to'closely fit the outside of the bottle neck,

.all in combination with a bottle having a mouth and lips undercut within and without engaging the edges of the disk and the outside wall thereot respectively, substantially as described.

' 2. A bottle cap permanently formed of semi-rigid material, comprising a central disk 5 radially fluted or corrugated and surrounded by ascending horizontal and descendin walls 6, 7 and 8 respectively, forming a c annelled ringto receive the bottleneck, said outer wall 8' having vertical ribs or. channelled flanges 12 connected by a web of the material molded so that when closed they engage beneath externally projecting portions of the bottle neck.

3. A bottle cap permanently formed of semi-rigid material comprising a central disk 5 surrounded by walls 6, 7 and 8 forming a channelled'ring to receive the lips of the bottle, with vertical ribs or channelled flanges 12 formed at intervals in the outer Wall 8 and a connecting web therefore molded to the contour-of the bottle neck, with a constricted portion near the bottom, and

means for compressing the same around and beneath a swell in the bottle neck.

4. A bottle cap permanently formed of said flanges being formed with an annular seriesof notches adjacent to said constricted portion, to receive a compressing device, whereby the cap may be applied under pressure to ensure 'a tight seal within the neck, and may be caused to resist displacement by pressure beneath the outside swell' of' the neck.

5. A bottle cap of paper or press board formed in one integral unit with a central downwardly projecting disk convexed all around and on its downward-face, an annular'depression to fit within the neck of the bottle, an annular flange around said disk moulded to receive the, lips of the bottle and an outside flanged web moulded to conform to the convex outer surface of the bottle, said central disk beingundercut for. convexity around its edge, and the outer moulded web being expansiblc for removal from the die when formed.

In testimonywhereof I' hereunto aifix my signature.

.ANTHdNY F. G. LUCAS. 

